Nine has announced a trio of significant products developments at its Upfronts event in Sydney, including the launch of Nine Audio: Finance, a partnership with BBC Studios on new fast channels, and the debut of the Good Food app.

On the total TV side of the business, Nine has partnered with BBC Studios to bring Australian viewers a line-up of some of the UK’s most loved entertainment shows via six exclusive and dedicated FAST channels on 9Now. the new deal sees 9Now housing more than 300 titles across six on-demand dedicated channels available for free. These are: BBC Comedy, BBC Food, BBC Home & Garden, BBC Earth, Top Gear, and Antiques Roadshow UK.

BBC Comedy for example, will include sitcoms and sketch shows such as Bottom, Are You Being Served, Allo Allo and Uncle. BBC Food includes famous celebrity chefs such as Hairy Bikers, Rachel Khoo and Jamie Oliver, while BBC Earth will include titles such as Natural Worlds, The Life of Mammals and Wildlife on One.

“We’re excited to announce the arrival of six new channels on 9Now, showcasing iconic titles like Top Gear and Antiques Roadshow alongside four genre-themed channels including BBC comedies," Hamish Turner, Director of 9Now and Programming, said. "This marks another great step in our partnership with BBC Studios, as we work together to expand our live channel offering. By combining Nine's market leading platform with BBC Studios world-class content, we’re delivering even more of what our audiences love, whenever they want it.”

BBC Studios ANZ Director of Content Partnerships and Sales, Deborah Tod, added the latest Fast channels deal builds on a longstanding partnership with the 9 Network.

The second development is the launch of the Good Food app, a premium subscription-based digital offering that promises to enhance the dining experiences of food lovers. The app will feature 10,000 recipes by Australia’s best and most trusted chefs, and will allow users to discover their next favourite dining experience by searching trusted and independent reviews - over 900 - across various cuisines, price points, styles and suburbs. It'll also allow users to browse through venues via Guide collections such as one, two or three-hat recommendations, Critics Picks and dynamic maps that pinpoints 'nearby' options such as in a user's suburb or proximity.

The app is being debuted over a phased approach starting from November. It'll be available as a free value-add for SMH and The Age Premium Digital package subscribers, or as a standalone subscription. It's the first time the annual bible for restaurant reviews will be available in an interactive digital form housed on the app.

“If you’ve ever thought it would be handy to have a Good Food Guide reviewer on speed dial, this app is for you,” said Sarah Norris, Nine’s Head of Good Food. “The Guide has been Australia’s most respected restaurant bible for more than 40 years, and now, for the first time – and in an exciting evolution for the Good Food brand – its 900 plus reviews are available in interactive digital form in the Good Food app.”

Nine Director of Product, Publishing, Stu Fagg, said over the past year, product, design, UX, technology, editorial, audience, commerce, brand and marketing teams had worked together to build the app experience plan. "The Good Food app will be continuously improved with regular updates and new features that will bring delight and utility to our customers and leverage emerging technologies," he said.

A third product announcement to drop at Upfronts, this time on the total audio side of the business, is Nine Audio Finance, a new premium short-form advertising solution debuting alongside existing premium finance content. Designed to meet the growing demand in the finance category, it will provide an additional 10-second high-frequency, standalone audio advertising solution, debuting alongside existing premium finance content with hourly reports. These include finance updates airing hourly from 6am to 7pm as well as from 5.30am to 8.30am during breakfast; plus adjacent 10-second shortform ad spots complementing 30-second ads and other finance assets such as Money news.

Other content-led opportunities include sponsorship and integration with the Money News Show, Money News Catch up and Market Wrap podcasts, and finance updates in key programs such as 'Unpacked', which focuses on investing.

It builds on the back of the Nine Traffic Network solution by expanding the range of premium advertising contextual opportunities available to advertisers. Nine pointed to Nielsen Catalina 2024 data that showed contextual advertising had been proven to increase intent by up to 37%.

"Nine Audio: Finance is a game-changer for advertisers in the finance sector," claimed Nine’s Director of Sales - Total Audio, Ashley Earnshaw. "It’s a premium, brand-safe environment that allows brands to leverage the higher trust and credibility associated with finance content while connecting with audiences during moments of high engagement."